Working Title
by Blackspots
Summary: Idea I'm humoring, no need to be demanding. Alternate Universe. There's is language as its a darker fic than what these characters probably should be written in. No descriptions as of now.
1. Chapter 1

**first things first: this may not be a story I finish. I'm merely entertaining the idea but I really do think it's worth seeing. If I do get that far, I believe this will be a trilogy series. So this is the first installment. No, not three chapters, three separate stories. this won't be updated regularly like I try to do with my other stories. It's updated when it wants to be updated. No sooner. However I will say if I stop writing it. The reasoning will probably be because I couldn't think of anythingore To write for it. Anyway disclaimers yada yada everyone knows this. On with the chapter!**

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Wakko looked out the window at the colorful clouds lit by the rising sun. The tip of it rose above the horizon and his heart sank. He held his sister closer to him as she slept at his side. She had climbed into his bed in the middle of the night. Neither wanted him to go, but neither had a say.

The sun continued to rise. He needed to get ready, but he didn't want to wake Dot. He sighed heavily, dreading the coming events.

"Wakko?"

He must have woken her anyway. "Yeah?"

Dot rose from the bed, her face hard as a rock, "You need to go. Get ready. You can't be late."

Of course she would do this. She did it before, she's doing it again. Wakko walked past her and into the bathroom. He showered and brushed his teeth. He wouldn't be able to eat anything anyway. He fingered through his fur, untangling any knotts. Placing his cap back on his head, he left to find Dot. She was dressed, but nothing more. It wasn't her who was leaving.

"You coming with?" Wakko asked.

She kept her eyes averted, "Of course."

They exchanged no more words. They remained in silence when leaving their small home and through the walk to the city hall. The bus that would transport Wakko was already there, waiting for its passengers. A large group of other toons in front of the hall said their goodbyes to their loved ones.

Wakko looked down at his sister. She still wouldn't look at him. "Come on, Dot. Don't do this."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're avoiding goodbye again," he told her, turning her to him for a hug. "I'm going to miss you, you know that."

Dot curled herself into his arms, shaking. He held her close as she cried. He talked to her all the while.

"Make sure you get that paper done. And keep practicing your swings. You've got the strength to do it. And don't forget to eat. I don't want to see you later with nothing but fur and bones."

She sniffled, calming down. He squeezed her lightly, wishing this wouldn't be the last one.

"Say hi to him for me?" She whispered, sniffling some more.

"Yeah, I will."

The bus horn honked loudly. Dot pushed against Wakkos arms as he pulled her away. "Dot, listen..." She struggled under his arms. "Listen to me!" She stopped, looking at him with bleary eyes.

Wakko looked back at her, trying to convey strength, "I need you to be strong. Help the other kids too. Stand up for others who need help. Don't be afraid of anyone or anything. Okay? Be strong."

Dot squeezed her eyes shut, tears continuing to fall. She nodded slowly, her lip quivering too hard to speak. Wakko hugged her one last time before backing to the bus. He waved at her until he disappeared behind the door. He ran to the back of the bus so that he could wave to her before the bus sped off. She waved back, her ears flopped down over her flower scrunchy. The bus lurched forward. Wakko watched his sister disappear around the corner as it sped down the street. His heart sank for the second time that day. He sat back in his seat, staring at his lap. This was it. He was on his way...

"Jeez, kid. Ya look like you've just gone through a blender on liquify."

Wakko looked up at the voice. An old gray squirrel looked down at him from the seat in front of his. Her small green bowlers hat had a long stemmed flower sticking out of it.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Uh..." Wakko searched for words, "um..."

The squirrel shrugged, "The names Slappy. What's yours kid?"

He hesitated, "...Wakko."

Slappy thought a moment, "Wakko, eh? With a name like that you shouldn't have problems until the later years."

"Problems?" Wakko echoed. He wasn't prepared for problems!

Slappy grinned at him, "Ah don't sweat it, kid. This your first time?" Wakko nodded shyly. "You'll do fine."

"Speak for yourself, Slappy!" A gray cat across the aisle hissed at the squirrel.

Slappy smiled, "Rita! Lose another kid?"

"Keep your comments to yourself, bitch," Rita showed her teeth at Slappy, rising the fur on her back.

Slappy rolled her eyes, returning to Wakko, "Ignore the cursed cat over there. She and the demon dog can't keep a kid alive for nothing."

Rita growled, "Say that again and I'll fillet you for a squirrel pot pie to feed Runt next time I see him."

"Hey, I should still be fresh by then!"

Wakko strayed away from the banter. Would he be able to take the child he was assigned?

A tiny hand laid itself upon Wakkos hand. He looked down at it, seeing a small white mouse toon. He had a large head and a crooked tail. His red eyes were hard and soft all at once. He said nothing, merely nodding comfort. Wakko smiled back, thankful for the strangers kindness.

The boy looked out the window curiously. He didn't think the bus would gotten here so soon. The buildings around him began to change. Less and less houses were animated, more and more were hand made with real wood. He gazed at them as they passed by. They looked so odd!

"Interesting, isnt it?" The mouse now stood on the window sill, looking at the buildings with Wakko. "It's amazing what they can create: homes, stores, apartments, malls, vehicles, spaceships, computers...and so much more."

Wakko chanced a question, "How many have you had?"

The mouse chuckled softly, "This will be my third." They continued to watch out the window, the city becoming more crowded. "Was that your sister?"

Wakko nodded, sighing again. His gaze lowered to his gloved hands.

The mouse continued, "I saw you waving goodbye as the bus drove away. I too have a friend I must leave behind. He...can't be assigned...he's been classified as a hazard. Damn men can't see his potential."

Wakko glanced at the mouse, "At least you know you'll see him every time you come back."

The mouse frowned, his brow furrowed, "He wants to be assigned so badly. He keeps asking if I can bring him with. I'd love to, but it's against the law. Enforcement cracks down hard on us toons. Watch out, Wakko. Stay under the radar and you'll be fine."


	2. Chapter 2

**What do you know? I got the second chapter up! I'm sure you'll all be happy to know that yes, I do have ideas for chapter three floating in my head. We'll see what happens in the future. Until then, enjoy this next chapter!**

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The amount of people astonished Wakko. All ages, sizes, heights, and colors walked the streets. Some people had toons following them. The families with the youngest children all seemed to be heading the same way. The exact place the bus was heading.

Wakko glanced at the mouse on the window sill. He introduced himself as The Brain. The Brain told him lots of things about the children he been assigned. The first was a boy, energetic, but not highly intelligent. His second was a shy but very clever girl. He spoke proudly about them, explaining where they ended up and his curiosity of how they were doing now.

The Brain's input on his experiences made Wakko a little excited. Would he look back like that too? He didn't have much time to think about it. The bus had stopped at a huge building that Wakko could only assume was where he would go through the process of being assigned.

A human man in an enforcement uniform stepped onto the bus. Of course, the squirrel had something to say even after bickering with Rita the entire ride.

"Hey! Harold! How are the kids? Finally get that lawyer off your wife?"

The man glared at Slappy hard, "Fuck off, toon. You're lucky I can't arrest you."

"That's why I do it, ya yutz," she said softly.

A light tap on his leg alerted Wakko to the mouse at his side, "Remember. Mind on the welfare."

Wakko nodded, turning his attention back on the enforcement officer. The man was directing toons off the bus one by one. Eventually he made it to the back of the bus, directing first Rita, then Slappy off the bus. A couple more toons were guided off, then, it was Wakkos turn.

"Come on, toon. I ain't got all day."

The Brain urged him forward and Wakko slid off Yeh seat, walking down the aisle and off the bus.

There were toons everywhere. Several other buses had arrived full of toons as well. From what he could see, Wakkos bus had the least number of passengers. Enforcement pushed Wakko along with the other toons. He recognized no one in the crowd. Wakko stepped on something, quickly backing away to see what it was. A tiny green splat on the ground groaned heavily. Wakko picked it up, seeing it was really a one eyed creature with antennae. The toon thanked him, disappearing again among the crowd.

Wakko was suddenly pushed to the ground, "Move!" shouted the order. He scrambled to his feet, quickly returning to the lines of toons in the doorway.

It was a battle to get in and around the building. Orders from enforcement were constantly being shouted and although Wakko tried, he couldn't keep himself from stepping on others.

Signs above showed where toons were supposed to go, but Wakko was unable to decipher his location. The education center never told them what happened here.

A tugging tickle ran up Wakkos leg, up his shirt and onto his head, "Wakko, it's me. You and I go the same way. You watch where you're stepping. I'll direct you." Wakko sighed in relief as The Brain took over. Along the way, the mouse explained things to him as they passed them. "Certain toons are given specific places they must go for assigning. We weren't given any, so we go to the main sorting center. There we will be sorted between humanoid and animal. At that point, we will be separated. I, a mouse, will go one way. You, as an indeterminate species, will go another way. From there, the enforcement will go through your information, updating anything that needs to be. Then, you will be waiting with the rest of your group until a child comes along for you. That is your assigned child. From there, everything you learned at the education center will be of utmost importance."

Wakko listened intently, taking it all in. He hoped it was as simple as The Brain explained. Speaking of him, the mouse jumped off, entering the doorway first. Signs everywhere read "One Entry At A Time". Wakko followed, feeling the red laser light warm his fur. The mouse waited for him on the other side, climbing up to his hand this time.

"Well, this is it. I hope you are assigned to a good kid. We may see each other in the future."

"Where do I go?" Wakko questioned, looking around for signs to direct him.

The Brain pointed to the far end of the room, "Over there. I'm right over here. Good luck, Wakko." And with that, he leaped off, running away into the crowd.

Wakko swallowed nervously. He made his way to the opposite wall where another security box was placed. Above it was labeled, "INDETERMINATE". That must be him. Wakko glanced around at the other toons, going every other way but this. Was he the only one who didn't have a species to label him? Maybe it wasn't so bad. It wouldn't be so crowded.

He walked through another laser light, stopping at a desk with a woman behind it. She seemed to be busy doing something with her fingers. "Excuse me?" he asked, getting her attention. She looked surprised to see him there.

"Oh! You must be...Wakko Warner?" Wakko nodded. "Male, three foot two, indeterminate species, black fur, white paws and face, cherry red nose, inkblot eyes. Apparel: blue turtleneck, red cap facing backwards, and white gloves. Relations being only a Yakko Warner and a Dot Warner. Specialties are belching, mallets, eating. Tendencies to act in animal-like behaviors with clever twists. This all correct? Anything need adding or removing?"

Wakko shook his head. One of the few things the education center drilled into every toons' head: Remember your descriptions. The woman picked up a pen and began writing like crazy upon a sheet of paper. Wakko waiting patiently, glancing back at the crowds standing in lines for their species.

"All right, down to the hall, first door on the left. You'll see a door on the other side of the room. There's a light above the door. Watch that light, when it goes off, your assignment is ready to meet you. Open the door and your new life awaits."

Again, he nodded, making his way down the hall he was directed. First door on the left...easy to find. Wakko opened and door, closing it softly behind him. The room was a little dull. There was a gray couch on the right wall, a fish tank on the left. The walls were painted beige and the carpet below was a nice blue. Two switches next to the door Wakko had entered controlled the ceiling fan; the light and the fan.

With a calming sigh, Wakko sat on the couch, getting used to his new surroundings. It wasn't a bad place. Obviously a waiting room, but at least it was comfortable. Wakko gazed at the fish in the tank. All goldfish, but his fascination came from the fact that they weren't animated fish, but flesh and blood fish. He watched their boring cycles of life with intent interest. In fact, the entire room was hand made by humans and their machines. The dullness of the colors made Wakko feel less than happy. Content at most. Animation was so much brighter and happier. No wonder the humans needed toons to keep them laughing. There was no way they could do it on their own.

He glanced up at the light above the door the woman had told him about. It was off. Probably for a while. There were a lot of toons out there. Were there really that many children? What type of child would he be assigned? A boy? A girl? White? Brown? Tan? Smart? Funny? Energetic? Lazy? The possibilities were endless. He heard many stories of toons with different types of kids. Most grew up happily. Some were unfortunate to have fate take over, and the toons would be reassigned to a new child during the next yearly assigning.

Staring at the fish, occasionally glancing at the light above the door, Wakko's thoughts flew all over the place. He thought back to his sister often, wondering what she was doing now.

Then, the light blinked on.


	3. Chapter 3

**First, I forgot to mention Wakko's gag bag in the last chapter so I will get that updated eventually.**

**Second, there is a secondary character I decided to throw in the story to help explain things when things need to be explained. Anyone has a problem with the character I will personally come to your house and cut you. **

**Enjoy! :)**

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He stared at the green light for a moment. This was it. His first assignment was behind that door. Fear gripped Wakkos chest. What if something went wrong? What if they didn't like him? What if he couldn't do his job?

Wakko took a deep breath, "You can do this. Just open the door and say hi." He slid off the couch and walked to the door. His hand sat on the doorknob hesitantly before Wakko forced himself to turn it. He pushed the door open a crack, sunlight flooding through the small slit. He pushed it further, stepping forward, peeking his head around the door.

The child was the first thing he saw. Mostly because the door was pried open to allow the child to embrace Wakko tightly.

The child looked up at him with innocent eyes, "Hi! I'm Tyler! I'm five years old! Old enough to have a toony! Are you my toony? What's your name?"

"Tyler, let the poor thing go and greet him properly," Wakko looked up too see a tall man smiling at the child in amusement. Beside the man was a pretty woman with a little girl in her arms.

Tyler let Wakko go, taking a step back, "Hi, mister toony. My name is Tyler Howsen. What's your name?"

Wakko blinked, collecting his thoughts, "My name is Wakko. Wakko Warner."

Tyler extended his hand formally, "Nice to meet you, Wakko." The boy looked back at his father, who nodded approval. Tyler smiled even wider. Were humans supposed to smile that widely?

Tyler's family came forward and introduced themselves. The man was Robert Howsen. He preferred Bob, though. His skin was a pleasing tan, his hair so short, Wakko couldn't tell if it was black or brown. His eyebrows, however were a light brown, a contrast to the dark brown eyes below.

The woman was Mary-Anne Howsen. Her skin was a soft light color that glowed in the sunlight, also igniting her firey red hair. Unlike many red hairred toons Wakko had seen, Mary-Anne's was straight with a few waves at her shoulders. He thought her hazel eyes were quite pretty. Lots of detail in them that toons normally didn't get.

The little girl only seemed a couple years younger than Tyler. She poked at his face and pulled a couple of whiskers. She definitely had a grip in those little fingers. Unlike her parents, little Kerry Howsen had blonde hair, set up in cute little pigtails. She reminded Wakko a lot of Dot. Cute, strong, had her family wrapped around her finger. Yep. Definitely Dot. "Toony!" She giggled.

Tyler was a spitting image of what Bob would have looked like as a child. Very dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, even the lighter shaded eyebrows, with a tint of red in them from his mother.

Tyler took Wakkos hand, dragging him away from the huge building behind them. "Come on Wakko! I wanna show you our house! I helped Momma clean it for when we brought you home!" Wakko hurried along, following this little boy who had so recently become his to entertain and care for. Tyler's parents of course would worry about the proper ways of keeping the child healthy and well, but it was Wakko's job to take care of the mental and emotional sides of him.

The family all gathered into a decently sized car. There were two carseats, one for Kerry, and one for Tyler. Bob explained that they were searching for a bigger vehicle. Wakko immediately hoped they found one soon. Sitting between two carseats wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

As the car drove away, Mary-Anne asked, "So, Wakko, tell us about yourself."

Wakko shrugged shyly, "What do you want to know?"

"What are you?" Blurted Tyler, "You look like a doggy, but you got whiskers like a cat."

The toon shook his head, "I'm not anything really..." Little fingers grabbed at his whiskers again. He winced as they tugged hard.

"Kerry! Stop! He's my toony!" Tyler complained.

Kerry whined, "I wanna play wit 'im!"

"Kerry, honey," Mary-Anne explained kindly, "Wakko is Tyler's toon. You'll get your own in a couple years."

"No! I want Akko!" the little girl tugged harder, pulling him into the carseat.

"He's mine, Kerry! Stop!" Tyler tugged back on Wakko, thankfully using his arm instead of his whiskers.

That was pretty much the car ride. Wakko was glad he was big enough to avoid getting whipped back and forth too much. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like for The Brain. By the time the car hit the driveway and the kids were pried off, Wakko felt as if some of his whiskers were missing and his arm was pulled put of its socket. Neither happened of course, even though both would be quick to heal.

Kerry was carried into the house by Mary-Anne, screaming with a powerful set of lungs. Tyler and Bob waited for Wakko to get out. The man trailed behind as Tyler dragged Wakko inside.

"This is the kitchen! It's where we eat and cook!" dragged to another room, "This is the living room where we watch tv and hang out together as a family." Tyler dragged him to a bird cage in a corner of the room, "This is Momma's toony! His name is Tweety. He's a canrary bird toony."

"Canary, son," Bob corrected as he walked in.

"Can-ar-y. He's a Can-ary. Go ahead! Say hi!"

Wakko waved shyly, "Hi..."

Tweety swung on his swing, smiling, "You're Tywers assigned toon? What's your name?"

"Wakko."

"You're not a puddy tat are you, Wakko?"

Wakko shook his head, "No, I'm indeterminate."

"Oh, we'll get awong just fine den!" Tweety grinned.

Tyler continued his introduction, "Tweety is Momma's toony. Daddy said he had a toony once, but he doesn't need her anymore, so he let her go when he turned to a grown-up. This way!"

Once again, Wakko was dragged away, this time up a set of stairs, "Upstairs is where all of our bedrooms are! This is Momma and Daddy's room. And this is my room. And this is Kerry's room. And this is your room!" Wakko blinked in surprise, he didn't expect to have his own room. "Go on, go look!" Tyler urged him forward.

Wakko stepped inside, amazed at what he saw. It was completely animated. Even the door was animated.

"Momma said that Tweety told her that if we had your room animated, then you could decorate it any way you wanted. That way, you would feel more at home. Does it make you feel at home?" Tyler looked at him with so much hope and genuine kindness that Wakko couldnt tell him no. "It does. Thanks." And it did. Sure, now the walls and floor were dingy and wooden, but soon, it would have all the finest things a toon could ask for. And a little extra Warner touch.

Tyler smiled wide again, making Wakko smile too.

"You can smile!" Wakko frowned, looking confused, "That's the first time you've smiled."

Was it? Thinking back, it was the first time he had smiled all day.

"You don't talk much, do ya?" Tyler asked.

Wakko shrugged, "Not as much as some toons do." He chuckled lightly, someone in mind.

"That's okay. Momma says I talk a lot. I'll talk enough for the both of us."

Wakko chuckled again, then his face twisted, feeling pressure in his lower belly. He started to dance, "Where's the potty?"

Tyler pointed farther down the hall and Wakko sped inside, closing the door behind him. He heard Tyler giggling in the hall.

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**Tweety was my first stuffed animal and I still sleep with him. Cut me some slack. Got a problem? Suck it up and get over it.**


	4. Chapter 4

A little more... He pulled back ever so slightly more, then finally released the spoon. The cereal inside it flew across the room, hitting several appliances before landing in Wakko's mouth. The toon chewed happily, smiling at the boy cheering beside him.

"Do it again!"

"No, don't do it again," Mary-Anne demanded, "That one almost hit me."

"Sorry," Wakko said, feeling a bit sheepish. He didn't actually plan for it to get that close, though her reaction had been kinda funny.

Mary-Anne put her hands on her hips, the corners of her lips were turned upward in the smallest of grins. She wasn't really upset. "Are you two done?" Both boys nodded. "Then get outta here. The kitchen isn't a playground."

The two left their bowls on the table and fled the kitchen for the living room. Bob sat on the couch, staring intently at the television.

"Hey, Dad-!"

"Shhh!" he shushed the boy quickly. Wakko turned his attention to the television in curiosity.

A news lady was speaking, "Three days ago, numbers of children and toons met, just like every year. Last year, one child was forced to wait a year before she was able to receive a toon."

Wakko remembered that. It had half the toons scared for months.

"The missing toon from last year has been found at last. However, it is becoming quite the problem for authorities. Dan, what's going on over there?"

The screen changed to a scene in the toon part of the city. A newscaster, Dan, stood in front of a shabby looking shelter, enforcement all over the place.

"In this little hut," Dan explained, "a toon dog by the name of Buttons has been hiding here for the past year. He escaped his scheduled assigning and ran with a little toon girl. The authorities have yet to confirm that the toon girl is here, but the likelihood is high. The dog hasn't attempted escape, instead staying low, keeping authorities from getting too close."

"Tyler, go outside and play with Wakko," Bob ordered. The boy had gotten restless anyway, uninterested in the news. He pulled Wakko with him, who did his best to try and catch what happened next. Unfortunately, he was unable to hear more, giving in to the outside world.

Wakko played with Tyler in the front lawn, using his animal-like traits to entertain the boy.

Yes, it had been three days since Wakko had joined the Howsen home. They were a nice family and he actually enjoyed making Tyler laugh. It felt natural to do, like an instinct. There was a place filled now that Wakko didn't even know had been empty. But he felt even more spaces missing. He could entertain and make Tyler laugh, sure, but he didn't feel he was at his best. There was something more he knew he could do, but he needed something to do it. He just didn't know what.

And then it hit him. The frisbee hit him square in the mouth, fitting itself nicely between his lips. Tyler ran up and tugged on it. Wakko clenched his teeth onto the frisbee, keeping in mind not to be too rough. His tail went stiff, wagging back and forth furiously.

Suddenly, Tyler let go, making Wakko fall onto his rump. The toon gave the frisbee a good shake before wondering what happened. Tyler ran passed him excitedly. Wakko glanced behind him to see a girl Tyler's age crossing into the yard.

"Marcie!" Tyler called to her. Marcie lifted an arm, glanced at her shoulder and quickly switched arms to wave. A small toon sat on her shoulder. She must have gotten a toon the other day as well.

"Tyler! Look!" Marcie pointed to her shoulder, showing Tyler the toon upon her shoulder.

Wakko spit the frisbee out and joined Tyler by his side. Tyler was fascinated by Marcie's toon, asking question after question. Somehow, Marcie was able to keep up, and talk just as much as the boy did.

"Is that your toon? What's his name?"

"Yeah! His name is Brain. He's really smart. Is that your toon? What's his name?"

"Cooool! Yeah, this is Wakko! He's fun to play with! Watch this!"

Tyler ran to get the frisbee. He picked it up and threw it towards the others. Wakko bent down, ready to jump. Once the frisbee was close enough he jumped and caught it in his mouth, landing on his feet.

Marcie's smile widened in excitement, "Wow! Can you do that?" she questioned the mouse on her shoulder.

"I would never demote myself to such primitive actions." Marcie blinked in confusion. The Brain turned to the other toon and the boy running up to rejoin them. "Hello, Wakko. How fortunate of our proximity."

Tyler glanced between them, "You know him?"

Wakko nodded, "We met on the bus. He helped me through the assigning building."

Marcie and Tyler exchanged a glance. The girl shook her head at him. The Brain looked confused, his eyes searching for answers from the girl. Wakko's head tilted to the side curiously. Marcie picked up the Brain, placing him on the ground. "Come on, Tyler, you're it!" She ran off into the yard, chased closely by the boy. Wakko was about to chase after them.

"Let them play, they need to wear themselves out," the mouse sat in the grass, watching the two run after each other. Wakko sat beside him. They watched for a bit, but the Brain clearly had something on his mind.

Wakko questioned him, "Did you hear the news?"

"About Buttons, yes," he paused, "I met him once, before my first assigning. He is dedicated to that girl. It's a shame he must leave her but he will. Whether he wants to or not."

"Did you run?" Wakko spoke before he realized what he was asking.

The Brain sighed, "No. Sometimes I wish I did. Every time I go back I think about it. I devise a plan that would be fool proof, but then one detail just..." he took a deep breath, calming himself.

"I could escape if I went alone, but I can't leave Pinky. I can't explain it, no matter how much I try. There is a link between us. It's stronger than anything else I've felt. I felt it with Buttons when I met him, although not nearly as strong. I felt it with Slappy and Rita too. And another toon, a mink. It was only a moment of eye contact, but she could feel it too. Do you feel it?"

Wakko blinked curiously. "Feel what?"

"The connection," The Brain stood to emphasise, "The connection between us. You are part of it too and I'm sure your sister is as well. I didn't mention it before but now I can share my findings with you! Tell me you feel it, too!"

The mouse now stood on Wakko's knee, his eyes and lips wide in excitement. Wakko shook his head, regrettably seeing the confusion and hurt in the Brain's eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about."

He slipped off of Wakko's knee heavily, "No, it's...it's alright. I don't know what I expected."

Wakko turned back to the children. They had stopped running around and were now sitting on the grass whispering to each other. They giggled together at a joke one of them told.

"We should join them." Without looking back the mouse began to walk toward the children. Wakko followed quickly, easily catching up.

Bob guided his children up the stairs for bed. Mary-Anne was already up and waiting. Wakko sat on the couch watching a television show about a group of people helping others in an unusual way. There were many like it, but Wakko had found this one interesting on a different level than the others.

Tweety opened his cage and flew to Wakkos side. His cage was always open. He preferred being in the cage when the children were awake.

Wakko turned to him questioningly, "Did you see the rest of the news from earlier?"

Tweety nodded, "Yeah, poor toon was sent to a pwison on de other side of town. He'll be assigned to a pwisoner there instead of a kid. They decwared him a hazawd for tildwen, but good enough for oldah humans."

"Will he be okay?"

The bird shrugged, "I don't know. Dis hasn't happened before. Sure, dere are some toons assigned to pwisons before now, but day are dah toons dat should be locked away anyway. He's da first to be set for a child and fight when he was found. Tupid toon."

"Buttons."

Tweety glanced at him curiously, "Huh?"

"His name. It's Buttons."

Tweety turned to the television, watching a blonde crawling through an airduct. Wakko was distracted with his own thoughts. Why did it matter to know the name?


End file.
